In the prior art, software developers utilize integrated development environments (IDEs) to develop and debug software. Prior to the current reliance on such IDEs, software developers needed to use separate and distinct tools for syntax checking their code, compiling, debugging, handling version control, and so forth. Modern software IDEs have the ability to merge all this functionality so that software developers don't see and aren't distracted by such separate and distinct tools.
One prior art IDE that is currently used by software developers is an open source platform know to those in the software arts as Eclipse, more information about which can be obtained from Eclipse Foundation, Inc. 102 Centrepointe Drive Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K2G 6B1. Eclipse is an extension-rich platform that is based on the notion of plug-ins. Eclipse uses basic Java programmatic elements such as Package and Source File. Eclipse includes notions of perspectives and views. In Eclipse, different perspectives refer to different ways of looking at and working with the same underlying data. In Eclipse, views are windows focused on subsets of data within a given perspective.
The phrase “server administrator” (SA) refers generically to operating system-level administrators, database administrators, web administrators, network administrators, and the like. In the prior art, SAs have been limited by their use and interaction with underlying tools and processes, which have been based on little or no standardization and, as well, little or no integration. In order to perform their daily responsibilities, SAs often have had to create “glue code” to cobble together the outputs from one or more systems, services, tasks, tools, and processes with that of their own self-developed scripts. In the prior art, such “glue code” is typically created in a variety of languages and uses non standardized interfaces, “breaks” under the stress of enterprise usage, and as such is typically unsupported.
Referring to FIG. 8, there is seen a representation of server administrator (SA) 801 interacting with various tools, services, and/or processes 803 via a prior art System Administrator Desktop 802. In such prior art systems, one sees a variety of non-interacting stand-alone tools and systems with little or no standardization amongst them. For example, in FIG. 8 one sees IT monitoring tools (Tivoli ITM, TEC), problem/change/ticketing tools/systems (ManageNow), reporting tools (SRM, ESMRT), search interfaces to knowledge repositories (HelpNow), patch management tools (VSA) and collaboration tools (telephone handoffs, email, team rooms and chat), some of which are known to those skilled in the art and some of which are proprietary applications.
Referring to FIG. 9, and FIG. 8 as needed, there is seen a view of a prior art Server Administrator Desktop 902. In the prior art, although views/perspectives are visible, they are not provided in a manner that enables communication of information between tools 803; which may, for example, cause the SA 801 to lose focus and access the wrong information at the wrong time. In the prior art, different perspectives on the same data are provided by different tools or applications that do not share a common data model. In the prior art Server Administrator Desktop 902 example shown, one sees a so-called dashboard that depicts system vitals (i.e. consumption of system resources), pressing problems, change records, bar charts of resource consumption, and various collaboration tools. In the prior art, none of the tools 803 communicate or are integrated in more than a superficial way.
It would therefore be desirable to provide SAs with systems and methods that provide them with improved access to tools, services, and processes.